Causes and Methods to Recover Data from a Dead PC

In today’s digital world, we have become too dependent on devices and gadgets such as computers, mobile, etc. to store our personal and professional data. However, sometimes these computers suddenly stop working or go to the state referred to as “Dead PC”, when all your stored files become inaccessible. Such a terrible situation can be painful, but luckily there are several professional data recovery software tools as well as manual methods available on the internet to restore your lost data.

This article explores different causes and methods to recover data from a Dead PC. Just go with these workarounds one-by-one to restore your files and folders effectively.

Common Causes of Dead PC

Before jumping into different methods to recover data from a dead PC, it is important to understand the exact causes of why a PC might fail. Some main reasons for such unexpected issues are:

• Hardware Failure: Hardware issues such as damaged components of the hard drive or motherboard make the computer inoperable and its stored files inaccessible.
• Software Issues: If your PC has any corrupted software or OS files, it may lead to boot failure. Even malicious programs like viruses or malware can make your device unbootable or delete its content.
• Unexpected Power Loss: Sudden power loss due to improper internal or external cable connection or low device battery can cause boot issues.

Before You Proceed with Data Recovery

Now that you are familiar with a few causes of dead PCs, it’s important to carefully examine the severity of the problem. Here are a few indications which show that your PC is inoperable or can be dead:

• Beep Sound or Noises: Your device might be producing a beep sound which generally occurs due to hardware failure.
• Check Power Connections: Light and fan activity on your PC can tell whether the PSU is in fine status.
• Verify your Monitor: The problem might be with your monitor only, instead of the whole PC.
• Try Safe Mode or BIOS Access: If you are able to access BIOS, it means that the hard drive is intact.

Once your device is declared dead or you fail to revive it, immediately proceed with the data recovery workarounds.

How to Recover Files from a Dead PC?

Here are some quick and easy data recovery workarounds, which can help you restore files lost from a dead PC. Depending on the root cause of the issue, try the following recovery methods one-by-one to recover data from a dead PC:

Method 01: Remove and Access the Hard Drive Directly

Let’s start with the simplest method first. If your hard drive is not damaged, you can directly restore data from a dead PC by following the below steps:

• Open your dead PC and carefully remove its hard drive.
• Now, connect that hard drive to another working computer using:
  • A SATA to USB adapter
  • A hard drive docking station
  • An external hard drive enclosure
• When the hard drive is accessible as an external storage device, browse and save your files to a safe location.

Note: This method only works if the hard drive is in working condition and the file system is intact.

Method 02: Use the BIOS Utility

Instances may occur that your PC is not entirely dead, it is just that you are unable to boot it due to corrupted or damaged system files, malicious program attacks, or any BIOS issue. In such cases, you can access the BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) utility to recover data:

• Firstly, insert a USB drive into your dead PC and ensure that it has been created using the Windows Media Creation Tool.
• Now, turn ON your computer and keep pressing the boot key (generally F12) to access the Boot menu. Select the USB Installation Media option from the Boot menu to enter the Automatic Repair setup.
• You might now notice that Automatic Repair has failed to fix your computer. In such cases, click on the “Advanced options” link to continue.
• Click Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Command Prompt. In the CMD window that appears, type notepad.exe and press Enter to launch the Notepad application.
• Inside the Notepad program, go to the File menu and select Open. Click on This PC and browse thoroughly to select the files and folders you wish to recover.

• Change the file type from txt to All Files.
• Right-click the selected file, click on the Send to option and then select your external drive where you want to save the recovered data.

Note: This method fails to recover data stored on the C: drive as the C drive will be formatted permanently after a new Windows OS installation.

Method 03: Use Third-Party Data Recovery Software

If the above-mentioned methods to recover data from a dead PC seem difficult, a third-party professional Windows data recovery software can be the easiest alternative. There are several professional data recovery software tools such as Stellar Data Recovery Professional available online which can help you retrieve files lost due to formatting, system failures, etc. You can use this tool to restore files lost from any internal or external storage devices, including hard drives, SSDs, USB drives, and many more.

The Stellar Data Recovery Professional tool is known for its easy-to-use interface and multiple scanning algorithms. The software is compatible with both Windows and Mac devices and can help you restore lost files in a few simple clicks. Once the files get recovered, you can also preview them before saving them on your device.

Here are quick steps to recover data from a dead PC using the Stellar Data Recovery Professional tool:

Step 1: Firstly, download and install the Stellar Data Recovery Professional software on your Windows PC/Mac. Also, connect your formatted external drive to that device.

Step 2: Launch the software and click the Waffle icon from the homepage. Select Create Recovery Drive.

Step 3: Click Browse and choose your connected drive, then click Create Recovery Drive.

Step 4: Now, click OK to initiate the process.

Step 5: An Activation window will now appear on your screen, where you need to enter the Activation key received via email on purchasing the product.

Step 6: Paste the Activation key in the desired box and click OK.

When the bootable drive is ready, connect the USB recovery drive to the affected PC and follow the below steps to recover your lost data:

• Turn ON your device and press the Boot key (F12) to enter the boot menu.
• Select your USB drive and from the homepage of the software, click on All Data or the specific file type that you want to restore.

• Now, from the Recover From window, select drives/locations and click Scan to initiate the scanning process.

• Once it is done, preview the recoverable files and click Recover to save them at the desired location.

After successful completion of the recovery process, remove the external drive. Use the USB installation media to repair your PC or re-install the Windows OS on it.

Wrapping Up

Having a dead PC doesn’t mean that your data is lost forever. With the aforementioned methods to recover data from a dead PC, you can easily restore your lost files and folders. It is essential to carefully proceed with these recovery workarounds one-by-one.

Moreover, if manual methods seem challenging, third-party professional data recovery software such as Stellar Data Recovery Professional is very helpful. You can also consider preventive measures such as maintaining regular backups, hardware monitoring, etc. to protect your data against even the most unexpected PC failures.